454 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
be remedied. That which is gentle work in one instance may inate 
disease in another. That which is feed to-day may to-morrow prove 
disastrous to health. Finally, necessary medical interference, no 
matter how judicious, may cause a more serious complaint than that 
which was being treated. Notwithstanding these difficulties there are 
some general rules to be observed that will in part serve to prevent 
the development of an unusual number of cases. First of all the 
predisposing causes must be removed when possible; when im- 
possible, unusual care must be taken not to bring an exciting cause 
into operation. Under no circumstances should fat animals have 
hard work. If the weather is warm or the variation of temperature 
great, all horses should have but slow, gentle labor until they become 
inured to it, the tissues hardened, and their excitability reduced to 
a minimum. Green horses should have moderate work, particularly 
when taken from the farm and dirt roads to city pavements; for 
under these circumstances increased concussion, changed hygienic 
conditions, and artificial living readily become active causes of the 
disease. Army horses just out of winter quarters, track horses with 
insufficient preparation, and farmers’ horses put to work in the spring 
are among the most susceptible classes, and must be protected by work 
that is easy and gradual. If long marches or drives are imperative, 
the incumbrances must be as light as possible and the journey inter- 
spersed with frequent rests, for this allows the lamine to regain their 
impaired functional activity and to withstand much more work with- 
out danger. Furthermore, it permits early detection of an attaclk, 
and prevents working after the disease begins, which renders subse- 
quent medication more effective by cutting the process short at the 
stage of congestion. 
All animals when resting immediately after work should be pro- 
tected from cold air or drafts. If placed in a stable that is warm 
and without draft, no covering is necessary; under opposite condi- 
tions blankets should be used until the excitement and exhaustion of 
labor have entirely passed away. It is still better that all animals 
coming in warm from work be “cooled out” by slow walking until 
the perspiration has dried and the circulation and respiration are 
again normal. Animals stopped on the road even for a few moments 
should always be protected from rapid change of temperature by 
appropriate clothing. If it can be avoided, horses that are working 
should never be driven or ridden through water. If unavoidable, 
they should be cooled off before passing through, and then kept mov- 
ing until completely dried. The same care is to be practiced with 
washing the legs in cold water when just in from work, for occa- 
sionally it proves to be the cause of a most acute attack of this 
disease. 
